Marcelino Trillo, Lead Administrator and PrincipalAt Robert Treat Academy Charter School (RTA), that balance becomes reality through rigorous core instruction for K to 8 students in a safe, year-round learning environment supported by charter autonomy.
Located in Newark, NJ, the school serves inner-city students, predominantly Hispanic and African American, with a slight majority of girls. RTA supports these students with care and compassion, approaching every lesson as a chance to broaden each child’s sense of possibility. It remains committed to equal opportunity, welcoming students with special needs and meeting its public school obligations.
Through a student-centered approach, RTA proves that fairness and opportunity can coexist. With more than 700 students across two campuses and about 120 employees, the school serves nearly 80 percent of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Unlike magnet schools that selectively handpick students, RTA operates through a transparent public lottery to ensure equal access for all applicants. When applications exceed available seats, names are chosen at random, and a waiting list ensures equity.
Paul Parada, PrincipalRTA stands out for its culture rooted in community, character, and accountability, maintaining a close-knit environment where families feel supported. Its faculty builds trust with parents, enabling honest conversations that uncover true needs rather than surface-level issues.
The Co-Teaching Model
RTA’s co-teaching model ensures that every classroom has at least two instructors. Most pair a lead teacher with an instructional assistant, while middle school classes feature two certified educators. This structure allows academic interventions and emotional support to be delivered with patience. With two adults present, the school ensures consistent instruction without relying on substitute teachers.
For children affectionately referred to as RTA Specials, who need extra encouragement without formal plans, staff provide flexible support to help them flourish. By middle school, early behavioral concerns often settle, and students become confident learners ready for the next phase of their education. They eventually progress and graduate within a vibrant community, forming lasting bonds that make the school a second home for many.
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We aim to nurture each child in our care and provide them with every opportunity to succeed in high school and in life.
RTA alumni have attended institutions such as Oxford, Stanford, and Georgetown, with one graduate now pursuing a PhD in mathematics at Oxford. Many return to visit or eventually join the staff, reinforcing a cycle of community. Today, the school teaches the children of former students, strengthening its multigenerational impact.
“At RTA, our focus on hard work, compassion, and values proves the American dream is alive and well,” says Marcelino Trillo, lead administrator and principal.
To sustain student success and prepare the next generation for high school and beyond, RTA is strengthening its STEM programs while keeping core strengths in English language arts, mathematics, and character education. This growth requires recruiting skilled educators and may include physical expansion within the next five to ten years. A longer school year, averaging about 200 instructional days, reinforces RTA’s academic consistency. Its high school placement program continues to place more than one-third of graduates into competitive day and boarding schools across the Northeast.
RTA draws visitors from state, national, and international levels who come to learn from its practices. The school believes that excellence does not require gimmicks, just strong academics, consistency, and genuine care. Its approach remains simple, focusing on reading, writing, arithmetic, and preparing students to be good citizens.
For families seeking a community where hard work leads to opportunity, RTA is a place where dreams are nurtured and potential becomes progress.
